Combination jordan and disc refiner for paper stock



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April 26, 1960 COMBINATION JORDAN AND DISC REFINER FOR PAPER STOCK Filed March 14, 1956 April 26, 1960 c. E. RoBERsoN COMBINATION JORDAN AND DISC REFINER FOR PAPER STOCK Filed March 14, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M Nw Rf. wf W? Je; i 5PM m @fro/Q/VE'YS.

April 26, 1960 c. E. RoBr-:RsoN 2,934,278

COMBINATION JORDAN AND msc REI-INEE FOR PAPER sTocK Filed March 14, 195s Y 4 sneets-sheet s IN VEN TOR. CY/Z/S @05E/(356W Peers/e, c//rr/Qz, Aw/55544.

f77- rof/v" Y6 April 26, 1960 c. E. RoBl-:RsoN 2,934,273

COMBINATION JORDAN AND DISC REFINER FOR PAPER STOCK Filed March 14, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR CYRUS E.ROBERSON FIG-f BY /waq/f-QMM A'ITORNEYl COMBINATION JGRDAN AND DISC REFINER FR PAPER STOCK Cyrus E. Roberson, Hoosick Falls, N. assigner to The Noble d: Wood Machine Company, Heosielfi, NSY., corporation of New York Application March 14, 1956, Serial No. 571,442

2 Claims. (Cl. 24J-163) This invention relates to paper stock treatment apparatus and more particularly to a novel Jordan and disc refiner combination, A general object of my invention is to provide more eicient stock treatment apparatus, capable of increased output, and decreased power consumption.

In the accomplishment of this and other objects of my invention, I employ in a preferred embodiment thereof a conical plug refiner of the Jordan type wherein a conical plug is mounted for rotation Within a stator shell, with cutter bars mounted on the plug and shell in opposed relation. At the larger end of the Jordan, and within the same stator shell, I provide a disc refining unit having one disc mounted on the Jordan plug and the other mounted on the inner surface of the stator shell head. In this way I provide a Jordan and a disc refiner in immediate series with the outlet of the Jordan immediately adjacent to the inlet of the disc refner.

It is a feature of my invention that the stock is pumped into the Jordan under pressure starting at the small end thereof and working towards the large end, and that,

thereafter the stock passes into the disc refiner unit being forced radially inwardly toward the central annular outlet adjacent to the shaft on which the plug is mounted. An additional feature of my invention relates to the combination of the foregoing elements with means related to the disc reiiner tending to urge the stock radially inwardly during the disc refining phaseof the operation. A further feature of my invention relates to mechanism in combination with the foregoing elements for independently regulating the pressure between the Jordan cutter bars and between the discs of the disc refining unit without in any way changing the pressure setting of the element not being so regulated.

Further objects and features of my invention will best be understood and appreciated from a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, selected for purposes of illustration, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view in side elevation of the refining apparatus of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the disc element mounted on the large head of the stator shell;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the disc element mounted on the large end of the rotor plug;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view in end elevation of the lands or grooves on the discs taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view in side elevation of an vembodiment of my invention employing means for regulating the ow of the stock;

Fig. 6 is a view of the regulating discs taken along the lines 6 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view in cross section taken along the lines 7-7 of Fig. 6.

The preferred embodiment of my invention herein shown comprises a Jordan unit indicated generally at 10 and a disc refining .unit indicated at 12 'arranged in a 'ice single mechanism in immediate series relationship. The Jordan unit 10 and the disc unit 12 employ a common plug 14. The plug -14 is mounted on a main shaft 16 which is in turn supported and driven in rotation in the conventional manner.

The Jordan unit 10 includes in its general organization a stator shell 18 complementary in form to the rotor plug 14 and being provided with cutter bars 20 on its inner surface. The plug 14 carries on its outer surface cutter bars 22 which cooperate with the cutter bars 2t) of the stator shell in bringing about a cutting, brushing, and defibrillating action on paper stock when the plug 14 is rotated within the shell 18, and stock is pumped (as by a pump indicated diagrammatically at '23) through an inlet 24 at the small end of the lordan 10 towards the large end thereof. 4In addition to being mounted for rotation, the shaft .16 is also mounted for motion longitudinally of its axis so that the cutting space between the respective cutter bars 2i) and 22 may be varied by moving the shaft 16 and hence the plug 14 axially relative to the stator shell 18.

The disc refiner unit 12 comprises a rotor disc 26 mounted on the large end of the plug 14 and a stator disc 28 mounted on a large shell head 30 which extends across the large end of the stator shell 13. rl`he large shell head 30 is movable axially relative to the shell 1S by a screw mechanism 31 acting between the large shell head 3i) and main thrust bearing 33 but is held against rotation with the plug by a key slot in the shell 1S. The details of the mounting for the large shell head Si? and the mechanism for moving the shaft 16 axially, for moving the large shell head 30 axially relative to the plug 14 and for moving the large shell head Si) and plug 14 axially in unison are described in my previous patent, No. 2,645,983, and therefore, need not be described herein in detail.

The disc 25 is shown more in detail in Fig. 2 wherein it Will be seen that in this preferred embodiment, the disc is actually made up of six separate sectors 32 each secured to the large shell head Btl by means of machine screws 34. While it is not essential to the operation of my invention herein described, a turbulence plug may be provided to vary the conditions of refining and the throughput of the device as was described in my said prior patent, and for that purpose one of the sectors 32 may be perforated at 38 as may be seen in Fig. 2.

The disc 26 is shown in Fig. 3 wherein it will be seen that it likewise comprises six sectors 40 which are secured to the plug 14 by machine screws 42 in a manner similar to that employed for the disc 28. The discs 26 and 28 are provided with fiat topped lands 44 and rounded grooves 46 as may be seen more in detail in Fig. 4. It should be noted, however, that the lands 44 and grooves 46 of the disc 28 extend predominantly radially, while the lands 44 and grooves 46 of the disc 26 slant substantially forwardly in the direction of rotation of the plug 14 so that the cooperative action between the lands 44- and the grooves 46 of the discs 26 and 28 tends to urge the stock radially inwardly while it is being refined in the disc rener unit 12.

The passage for the stock between the .lordan unit 1t) and the disc rener unit 12 and the passage for the stock outwardly from the disc retiner unit 12 should be carefully considered. As the sto-ck issues from the iordancutter bars 2li and 22, it enters a shallow annular chamber or conduit 48 formed between the stator shell 18 on the outside and the surface of the plug 14 on the inside. This chamber 43 is adjacent to the inlet area for the `stock: to the disc refiner unit 12., and therefore, it serves both as an outlet for the Jordan unit Yltr and an inlet for the disc refiner unit 12. i regard this feature of my `invention as highly important because the close juxtaposition of the outlet of the Jordan and the inlet of the disc rener may be one of the aspects of this invention which brings about its highly unusual and unexpected results. Secondly, it should be noted that in the disc reiiner unit 12 vthe stock travels radially inwardly and issues from a central annular opening Sil which lies adjacent to the shaft 16. This feature may likewise be of importance to my invention because of the fact that the centrifugal forces imparted to the stock by the rotor are in opposition to the forces urging the stock ilow in the direction of the outlet t?. Thirdly, it should be noted that the discs 26 and 28 are disposed in the path of a shallow cone, and thereby might be considered as forming a second conical plug in base-to-base rela tion with the plug 14 of the Jordan l0. lt is possible that this produces, in conjunction with the centrifugal forces imparted to the stock, an additional turbulence which would not be present if the discs 26 and 25 were at and were rotated in a plane normal to the shaft 16.

The operation of the renner herein described is as follows. Paper stock is pumped into the Jordan unit l@ through the inlet 2d and, due to rotation of the shaft 16 and the plug i4, the paper stock is refined by the action of the cutter bars 20 and 22. During this phase of the operation, the cutter bars 20 and 22 cut, brush and defibrillate the bers in the stock and also accelerate the stock both circumferentially and in the direction of the chamber or conduit 48. The stock then issues from the Jordan unit lill into the conduit 4S and is immediately forced into the disc reining area detined between the discs 26 and 23. During this phase of the treatment, the stock is subjected to the more thorough and rigorous refining action of the discs, and it issues from the central opening Si) in a substantially totally rened state. In order t0 achieve the proper conditions for refining, the clearance between the cutter bars 29 and 22 may be regulated by moving the shaft 16 axially and the clearance between the discs 26 and 2S may be varied by moving the large shell head 363 axially of the shaft 16 relative to the plug 14. In addition, it should be noted that the plug 14 and large shell head 3@ may be moved axially in unison so that the clearance between the cutter bars 2i? and 22 may be adjusted without disturbing the refining clearance between the discs 26 and 28 and that the mechanism for achieving these relative motions is fully disclosed in my prior Patent 2,645,983.

From the point of view of performance, the apparatus of my invention has achieved an exceptionally unusual result. Ordinarily in the refinement of paper stock, as for instance in the Southern mills for the production of kraft paper, paper stock is passed through a first group of preliminary Jordans or refiners in series and given a relatively light treatment for the purpose of opening up, softening, and brushing the fibers as a preliminary step. Thereafter the stock is passed through a series of secondary Jordans or refiners in which the cutting pressure is greatly increased so that the refining action is accelerated and nally the stock is either passed through additional Jordans or disc refiners which give it the iinal treatment preparatory to formation of paper. In the past it has been impossible to give the stock a complete treatment `in a single pass through a single piece of equipment because the Jordans or refiners employed would cut the stock excessively if the cutting pressure was raised on the initial stages, and if the cutting pressure was not raised they did not accomplish suflicient treatment. On the other hand, with the novel combination of my invention, I have found that the entire refining process vmay be carried out with a single pass of the stock through the equipment at an enormous saving of equipment and horsepower per ton. Another very surprising result obtained with the apparatus of my invention is that the refining process is carried out with a much reduced rise in temperature. This feature is of much importance in the paper-making industry lbecause the rise in temperature must be kept below certain critical limits abo/ve which the paper stock is damaged by heat.

It is not exactly clear to me why this novel arrangement of a Jordan and disc deliner in immediate series should produce such a marked improvement in efliciency, but several things may give rise to the beneficial results obtained. ln the first place, the back pressure in the conduit or chamber 4S caused by the centrifugal forces of the stock in the area of the disc refiner unit 12 may tend to hold the sto-ck in the Jordan unit 1t) in such a way that the ford-an unit l0 simultaneously accomplishes the necessary brushing, rubbing, softening and cutting actions previously accomplished by the several stages of Jordan treatment. Secondly, there may be a definite interaction between the cutter bars Ztl and 22 and the discs of the disc refining unit l2 brought about by the close spacing. Thirdly, it is also apparent that the acceleration of the stock caused by the cutter bars 22 in the conduit cr chamber 48 is likewise imparted to the disc reliner i2. In this way kinetic energy is conserved rather than being expended as in the previously employed series combinations. Still another factor involved relates to the fact that both the Jordan and the dis-c reiner treatment areas lie in conical paths. It is possible that this form brings about a type of swirling turbulence lwhich greatly increases the reiining action of the elements involved. On the other hand, regardless of the theory upon which the startling results of this invention are based, it is my intention to claim the invention in broad structural terms without limiting the same to any particular theory.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I have shown an embodiment of this invention which includes in its construction means for limiting the flow of stock through the equipment independently of the spacing between the various refining elements and the input pressure. For this purpose a heavy disc 52 is secured to the large end of the Jordan plug 14 with its peripheral margin extending into the chamber or conduit 48 and with spaced teeth or projections 54 extending out to but not quite contacting a wear ring S6 on the outer surface ofthe chamber 48. The disc 52 is provided with an annular notch S8 to receive a ring 6) in sliding relation between itself and the Iordan plug 14. The ring 60 carries spaced teeth 62 which are essentially the same size and shape as the teeth 54 carried by the disc 52. The teeth 62 likewise extend outwardly into the chamber 48 and lie close to but not touching the wear ring 56. The ring 60 is shown in end elevation in Fig. 6 together with the teeth 54 of the disc 52, and in this ligure it will be seen that moving the ring 60 relative to the disc 52 effectively varies the openings through which the stock may travel in its passage through the chamber 48. The ring 60 is held in place during operations relative to the disc 52 by means of a machine screw 6d mounted in one or more of thek teeth 54 and having an outer end entering one of a plurality of depressions 66 on the face of the teeth 62 of the ring 60 which abuts the face of the teeth 54.

While it is true that the teeth 54 and 62 will, to some extent, oppose the flow of the stock and thereby take some of the kinetic energy from the stock, it will be understood that the stock in the chamber 46 is traveling circumferentially at a far` greater rate than it is traveling longitudinally of the reiiner, and therefore, the deterring effect of the teeth 54 and 62 is not regarded as substantial.

. With the flow regulating arrangement of my invention herein shown, I iind that numerous further ways of relining paper stock are available and that the throughput may be reduced without creating undesirable motion in the plug which often results in burning stock. Furthermore, while it is to be understood that the flow regulating elements herein shown have a definite cooperative relationshp in widening the applicable uses of the combination Jordan and disc reliner herein described, it should also be understood that this ow regulating mechanism may be employed in -a Jordan. Since numerous minor Variations ofthe preferred embodiment of my invention herein shown will now be apparent to those skilled in the art, it is not my intention to confine the invention to the precise form of the preferred embodiment herein shown, but rather to limit it in terms of the appended claims.

`Having thus described and disclosed preferred embodiments of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In paper stock treatment apparatus comprising a base, a shaft mounted both for rotation on said base and for axial motion relative to said base, a rst conical rotor plug mounted on said shaft, a stator shell complementary in shape to said rst plug mounted on said base, said iirst plug fitting into said shell, means operatively associated with said first plug and said shell for brushing, rubbing, softening, debrillating and cutting paper stock in a preliminary treatment, said means consisting of cutter bars mounted on said plug, an annular outlet for said Jordan adjacent to said cutter bars at the large end of said plug, a large shell head connected to said shell and complementarily fitting around a second conical rotor plug and mounted on said shaft in a base-to-base relation with said first plug and means for moving said large shell head axially relative to said stator shell; the combination with said apparatus of means operatively associated with said second plug and said large shell head for finishing the treatment of said stock, an annular inlet for said second plug rener, said inlet being coextensive and immediately adjacent to said outlet of said rst plug rener, and forming together an annular passage between the two said reiners whereby the accelerations, agitations and pressure waves in the stock caused by said cutter bars is communicated to the stock in said second plug refiner and means carried by said large end of said rst plug for partially restricting the iiow of stock through said annular passage, said means comprising two annular rings containing teeth along their outer circumferences, said two rings being adjustably attached by means of set screws.

2. In paper stock treatment apparatus comprising a base, a shaft mounted both for rotation on said base and for axial motion relative to said base, a first conical rotor plug mounted on said shaft, a stator shell complementary in shape to said iirst plug mounted on said base, said first plug fitting into said shell, means operatively associated with said rst plug and said shell for brushing, rubbing, softening, deiibrillating and cutting-paper stock in a preliminary treatment, said means consisting of cutter bars mounted on said plug, an annular outlet for said Jordan adjacent to said cutter bars at the large end of said plug, a large shell head connected to said shell and complementarily tting around a second conical rotor plug and mounted on said shaft in a base-to-base relation with said rst plug and means for moving said large shell head axially relative to said stator shell; the combination with said apparatus or means operatively associated with said second plug and said large shell head for inishing the treatment of said stock, an annular inlet for said second plug refiner, said inlet being coextensive and immediately adjacent to said outlet of said first plug refiner, and forming together an annular passage between the two said refiners whereby the accelerations, agitations and pressure waves in the stock caused by said cutter bars is communicated to the stock in said second plug rener.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 342,802 Marshall June l, 1886 475,063 Marshall May 17, 1892 984,830 Marshall Feb. 21, 1911 1,846,061 Marshall Feb. 23, 1932 1,851,071 Travis Mar. 29, 1932 2,645,983 Roberson July 21, '1953 2,654,295 Sutherland Oct. 6, 1953 2,694,344 White Nov. 16, 1954 2,823,871 Larsson Feb. 18, 1958 

